New Genetic Discovery May Explain Why Some People With Crohn’s Disease Suffer More

There may be a genetic link to flare-up risk in those with Crohn’s disease.

More than half a million people in the U.S. suffer from Crohn’s disease, according to recent estimates, but their experiences with the chronic illness can diverge dramatically ― and new research changes the thinking on why the disease affects people differently.

“Some patients can experience pretty mild disease with relatively little disruption to their lives while others have a really torrid time with severe symptoms and recurrent flare-ups,” said James Lee, a gastroenterologist at University of Cambridge and author of a new genetic analysis of people with Crohn’s.

Indeed, some people may not notice symptoms for years after diagnosis, and others with the disease require courses of aggressive immunosuppressant medications and multiple surgeries, as well as time off from work or disability leave.

While the cause of Crohn’s is not totally clear, researchers have established that the presence of certain genes ― more than 170 genes fall into this category ― along with the presence of some types of gut bacteria, are linked to a person’s risk of developing the disease. Typically, the more of these 170-plus Crohn’s “risk” genes a person has, the more likely they are to develop Crohn’s.

The health and medical information on our website is not intended to take the place of advice or treatment from health care professionals. It is also not intended to substitute for the users’ relationships with their own health care/pharmaceutical providers.